Windows Live Messenger blocks Pirate Bay

Microsoft has begun blocking web links to The Pirate Bay posted via the software giant's instant messenger client Windows Live Messenger.User's of Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger found that they were unable to send their contacts any web link based on the Pirate Bay domain, instead seeing a message that the link was blocked "because it was reported as unsafe."Microsoft released a statement saying: "We block instant messages if they contain malicious or spam URLs based on intelligence algorithms, third-party sources, and/or user complaints. Pirate Bay URLs were flagged by one or more of these and were consequently blocked."TorrentFreak reported that The Pirate Bay was the only major torrent site that has been blocked by Microsoft's IM client to date. Comments on that story pointed out that modifying the domain, such as using URL shortening, side-stepped Microsoft's block entirely.While it's tempting to suggest that Microsoft is blocking the Pirate Bay due to concerns of the firm's own software being pirated openly on the site, it's just as likely that the block is indeed part of the firm's increasing attempts to tackle malware.Microsoft recently unveiled another operation in the firm's efforts to tackle botnets with Operation b71 targeting the Zeus family of malware. The firm worked with law enforcement to shut down malware command and control servers but Sophos said that the action had not so far resulted in "significant disruption" of Zeus.